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[Page 112]
Still blowing strong but the sea having gone down. Everyone is happier. Hundreds of pounds of crockery broken & various other pieces of furniture in different departments & shipped a good deal of water in the face head troop decks the pumps kept busy. We have had orders to save coal & make it spin out & be as economical as we can so are now steaming under 5 boilers out of 7 & averaging 10.5 per hour only. This Natal coal being anything but good coal so at this rate we expect to reach Fremantle about the 29th of August. The coal question is serious now in all parts of the world.
Aug. 14.1919
Mod. gale sea rough. At noon this day we were 433 from Port Natal & 3932 miles to Fremantle. The majority laid up sea sick & the whole of the troops very quiet.
Aug. 15.1919
Mod. gale sea rough, hasy, showery & squally. Steamer hove too & going dead slow, the opposite way for 1½ hours whilst the doctors in the hospitals were doing a serious operation. Whilst the transport was stopped a few tried fishing for albatross but the ruse proved unsuccessful. After the operation we proceeded on our way at 11 knots speed burning as little coal as possible as time is of no object, but economise on coal being the main thing. We received a wireless from the Troop Transport Chimitz (formally a German passenger boat). She left Port Natal the day before us. She was 150 miles ahead of us at noon so that she is also saving coal & proceeding far slower than us. Distance from Port Natal at noon 691 mls., to Fremantle at noon 3674.